Last Sunday morning, two prospective diners approached the entrance of Abigail, a new restaurant on the corner at Classon Avenue and St. Johns Place. One of them pointed to a sign taped to the front door that said “B.Y.O.B.” “That sucks,” one of them said, “isn’t this supposed to be a wine bar?” They went in for brunch anyhow; the place was busy.
Brunch, normally a buckshot-filled game of Russian roulette, is relaxed yet thoughtful at Abigail. Dressed, mixed lettuce leaves that accompany plates (mains, $5-$12) are actually fresh, meaning they haven’t been festering in a three pound plastic box marked “Spring Mix” at the back of a walk-in refrigerator crawl space all week. Those lettuce leaves transcend earthly bounds of garnish for your benefit: You, sir, are getting a small and real salad with your baked eggs with roasted tomatoes, asparagus, and Bellwether cheese ($9, above). The tomatoes are roasted with olive oil and thyme, and are sweet and salty.
A plate of warm, eggy popovers ($3, left), baked in-house and served with butter and jam, make for a solid cheap eat. A chocolate almond bread pudding made with brioche graces the menu. And while the Granola is Balthazar-branded, Abigail manages to be an unfussy brunch spot, where you’re not chased out just as soon as you’ve put down your fork for the first time.
The egg yolks in the eggs benedict ($10) could have been a little softer (echoing a similar sentiment in this Brooklynian review). Big pots of tea, worth a few cupfuls, are $3; coffee ($2) is a Brazilian mix from Brooklyn roaster Kitten Coffee, and takeaway one-pound bags cost $12. Chocolate cookies (75¢) are available at a bake-sale like commissary by the register.
The restaurant is the new project of Camaje chef Abigail Hitchcock and husband Jason Noble. As per the B.Y.O.B. sign, the wine part of the wine bar comes with community board approval, the de facto rite of passage for all new restaurants in the city. Hopefully mimosas will follow.
Abigail Cafe & Wine Bar, 807 Classon Avenue; Brooklyn (718) 399-3200
